This Common Bacteria in Your Dog's Mouth Could Give You an Infection

All of our pets carry bacteria in their mouths, but news shows that one common variety might be more dangerous than others.

In
a recent case in England, a 70-year-old woman contracted a
life-threatening infection after her Italian greyhound licked her, CBS News reports.
She developed slurred speech, became unresponsive and suffered from
confusion, headaches, diarrhea, fever and kidney problems. Doctors
diagnosed her as having sepsis, aka blood poisoning, which they were
finally able to trace back to one thing: Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a
bacteria that lives in dogs' and cats' mouths.

Her
story is most definitely a scary one, but don't start panicking quite
yet: Life-threatening cases like this one are incredibly rare. Dr. Bruce
Farber, chief of infectious diseases at North Shore University Hospital
and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, spoke
with CBS News about the English woman's infection:

"This
is an organism carried in the mouths of dogs, and it causes a very bad
sepsis infection. But it's usually in people who are immuno-compromised
and usually follows a dog bite. But this is unusual because it was a
lick. I've probably seen two cases in 30 years of doing infectious
disease."

A 2006 study on the bacteria confirms Dr. Farber's reassuring words. Although the study's authors do
write that Capnocytophaga canimorsus is the main bacteria associated
with dog bites (there are no mentions of licking being a cause of
infection in this report), they also write that those at the most risk
of developing illness are those who have had a splenectomy and those who
abuse alcohol.

It's
important to note that this elevated risk applies to infants, as well,
as they also have less efficient immune systems. "Dogs shouldn't be
licking newborn babies," Dr. Farber told CBS News. "At about after two
to three months, then everything's fine."

If you do happen
to contract a Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection, Dr. Farber told CBS
News that your first symptoms might look a lot like any other illness:
fever, chills, sweats and a lack of energy. You will, however, fall ill
much more quickly than you would with a more commonplace infection.
Thankfully, though, Dr. Farber also says that the infection is easily
treated with antibiotics like penicillin.

Ultimately,
Dr. Farber wants us to know that we shouldn't live in fear of getting
affection from our pets. "The last thing you want to do is alarm people
that they'll be infected if they get licked or kissed by a dog," Dr.
Farber told CBS News. And if you become worried after a bite, lick or
scratch from a pet? Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and
concerns.